YMCA campers learn how to eat healthy at Fruit & Veggie Olympics

June 25, 2008

For the second consecutive year, the YMCA partnered with the Unicoi County Health Department, UT Extension Office, and Leaps and Bounds to teach local kids the value of a diet that is full of fruits and vegetables.

Last Wednesday behind the YMCA, campers participated in a wide variety of activities including: lemon-lime tic tac toe, food guide pyramid relays, corn javelin, and melon weightlifting.

Becky Cassell of the Unicoi County Health Department said that these activities were designed to encourage exercise and physical activity to the campers.

“We wanted to promote physical fitness as well as the importance of a healthy diet,” she said.

In addition to the cleverly-named activities, the campers also took part in taste tests. The purpose of the taste tests was to introduce the campers to the wide variety of fruits and vegetables that are available.

“Most children eat carrots, apples, bananas, and the basics, but a lot of children have never had artichoke, dates, coconuts, mangoes, or prunes,” Cassell commented. “Our goal here today was to get them to try new things.”

“A lot of kids eat junk food and candy. There’s lots of wonderful fruits and veggies that taste wonderful and are much better for you.”

Cassell said that for the most part many of the children liked trying the new foods. “The kids really enjoyed it,” she said.